The present invention relates to a package for an ink container accommodating ink to be supplied to an ink jet recording apparatus for effecting effect by ejecting liquid such as ink or the like to a recording material.
Conventionally, an ink container for supplying the ink to the ink jet recording apparatus is detachably mountable to the ink jet recording apparatus, and after the ink accommodated therein is used up, it is replaced with a new one.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 6-293854, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 11-170554, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 11-310266 and so on disclose packages for such ink containers, for use during transportation or when they are stored. The package disclosed in them are intended to prevent evaporation of the volatile matter in the ink accommodated in the ink container or to protect the ink container from shock by vibration or falling during transportation or the like.
In the case that ink accommodated in the ink container comprises coloring material which is a pigment and liquid medium for dispersing the pigment, the coloring material settles due to the gravity when the ink container is placed with the same position or orientation for a long term during transportation or the like, with the result of non-uniform coloring material density distribution in the ink container.
Here, the settling is a phenomenon in which fine particles settles due to the gravity, and the degree of settling is determined by the settling velocity in the direction of the gravity defined by the Stokes equation and the Brownian movement when the coagulation of the particles does not occur.
Stokes equation:
Vs=2a(xcfx81xe2x88x92xcfx81o)g/9xcex7xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
xe2x80x83Where Vs is a settling velocity, xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is a radius of the particle, xcfx81 is a density of the particles, xcfx81o is a density of the solvent, g is the gravitational acceleration, xcex7 is a viscosity of the solvent.
Brownian movement:
X=(RTt/3xcfx80NAxcex7a)
xe2x80x83where X is an average movement distance of the particles per time t, R is a gas constant, T is an absolute temperature, NA is an Avogadro number, xcex7 is a viscosity of the medium, an is a radius of the particle.
When the settling velocity of the particles are ruling over the scattering by the Brownian movement, the particles settle.
When an air vent is provided in the ink container for the purpose of fluid communication between the inner space in the ink container and the ambience, the volatile matter in the ink evaporates through the air vent, by which the coloring material density of the ink in the ink container becomes non-uniform, too. Particularly when the air vent is disposed in a side other than a side opposed to the side having the ink supply port, the increase of the coloring material density adjacent the ink supply port is remarkable due to the settling of the coloring material and the evaporation of the ink component.
In addition, when an ink absorbing material for absorbing and retaining the ink is provided in the ink container, the coloring material does not easily move in the ink absorbing material since the fibers are interraced in a complicated manner. Therefore, it will not work to shake the ink container immediately before the start of use, because the coloring material is not dispersed. Once the density gradient is produced in the ink absorbing material, quick redispersion or rediffusion is not easy. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a conventional package containing an ink container. The ink container 1101 contained in the package 1106 has an ink absorbing material 1104 therein to retain the ink comprising as a coloring material self-dispersion type carbon black. An air vent 1103 is provided in the upper or top surface (as seen on the Figure) of the ink container 1101 at a position away from the inside ink absorbing material 1104 by a rib (unshown), and an ink supply port 1102 is provided in a lower or bottom surface (opposite the upper surface) at a position substantially diagonal relative to the air vent 1103. The ink container 1101 is contained in the package 1106 with the air vent 1103 open with such an orientation that ink supply port 1102 takes a bottom position, and the air vent 1103 takes a top position.
When the package 1106 is placed under the state for a long term, the coloring material in the ink in the ink container 1101 settles, and the volatile component in the ink evaporates through the air vent 1103 with the result of the state in which the coloring material density (content) in the ink is high adjacent the ink supply port 1102 at the bottom of the ink container 1101 and below the air vent 1103, as indicated by region 1105.
When the ink container 1101 is set in the ink jet recording apparatus, the ink supply port 1102 takes the bottom position. In other words, the ink container 1101 is set in the ink jet recording apparatus with the same orientation as that during the transportation. However, if the ink container 1101 is placed under the same orientation for a long term, the coloring material density is high in the adjacent region to the ink supply port 1102. The ink having the high coloring material density exhibits a low flowability, and therefore, when such ink is supplied to the ink jet recording head, it may clog the nozzles of the recording head, or may be deposited and solidified on the ink ejection outlet side surface of the recording head with the possible result of proper image recording operations. In addition, the ejection particularly property of the recording head is deteriorated to prevent the proper image recording.
Moreover, with the consumption of the ink from the beginning of the use of the ink container 1101, the coloring material density of the ink decreases, and therefore, the quality of the recorded image changes with use, and the quality in the beginning and that immediately before the ink is used up are different from each other. Since the ink is retained in the ink absorbing material 1104 wherein the fibers are interraced in a complicated manner. Therefore, even if the ink container 1101 is shook before the start of use, and the coloring material in the high density region 1105 is not quickly dispersed, and therefore, the high coloring material density ink is supplied to the recording head.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a package wherein even if a coloring material density or distribution in the ink in the ink container becomes non-uniform during transportation, supply of the high coloring material density ink from the ink container is effectively prevented.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package for containing an ink container which contains ink comprising pigment coloring material and solvent dispersing the coloring material and which has an ink supply port for permitting supply of the ink to an outside, said package, wherein said ink container is in a first orientation which is different from a second orientation taken in use in said ink jet recording apparatus.
According to the present invention, even if the coloring material density distribution of the ink in the ink container becomes non-uniform due to settling of the coloring material in the ink, during the transportation, the coloring material can be distributed to make the coloring material density distribution more uniform. Even if the high coloring material density region is produced neighborhood the ink supply port, supply of the high coloring material density can be effectively prevented.
In said first orientation, it is preferable that said ink supply port is at a level higher than a region in which the coloring material density in the ink is relatively high due to settling of the coloring material. Because of this, production of high coloring material density region is prevented in the neighborhood of the ink supply port. When the ink supply port takes the bottom position upon use of the ink container in the recording apparatus, the region where the coloring material density is relatively high is present above the ink supply port, the coloring material in the region is dispersed toward the ink supply port. As a result, the coloring material is further dispersed in the ink, so that more uniform ink is supply to the outside.
It may be that in said first orientation said ink supply port and an air vent for fluid communication between an inside of said container and the ambience are disposed substantially opposed to each other, and in the first orientation, the ink supply port is at a position higher than the air vent. Through the air vent, the volatile component in the solvent evaporates, and therefore, the coloring material density in the ink becomes higher with time adjacent the air vent, but the adverse influence thereof can be minimized by the disposition of the air vent.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package containing comprising: a packaging member; and
An ink container which contains ink comprising pigment coloring material and solvent dispersing the coloring material and which has an ink supply port for permitting supply of the ink to an outside, wherein the ink container is mountable to an ink jet recording apparatus with the ink supply port at a lower position, said ink container accommodating an ink absorbing material for absorbing the ink and being provided with an air vent which is open for fluid communication between a space inside said ink container and ambience, wherein said ink container has, at a side adjacent a side having said ink supply port, a first portion and a second portion which is projected outwardly of the ink container beyond the first portion, said first portion continuing with the side having the ink supply port, wherein said adjacent side takes a lower position.
According to this aspect of the present invention, if the coloring material settles during transportation, a relatively high coloring material density region is produced adjacent a side close to the side having the ink supply port in the ink container. If the ink supply port takes a bottom position when the ink container is in use, the region having the relatively high coloring material density is positioned above the ink supply port, and the coloring material in such a region is dispersed toward the ink supply port. At this time, the moving coloring material abuts the step between the first portion and the second portion by which it is dispersed toward the central region in the ink container. By doing so, the coloring material is further effectively dispersed in the ink, and uniform ink can be supplied to the outside.
It may be that ink supply port takes in said package a position at a higher level than a relatively high coloring material density region in the ink resulting from settling of the coloring material in said package.
It may be that in said first orientation said ink supply port and said air vent are disposed substantially opposed to each other, and in the first orientation, the ink supply port is at a position higher than the air vent.
It may be that ink container has therein an ink absorbing material for absorbing the ink.
It may be that pigment is carbon black.
It may be that carbon black is self-dispersion type carbon black.
It may be that pigment is color pigment.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.